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founder

1
[ foun-der ]
/ ˈfaʊn dər /
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See synonyms for: founder / foundered / founders on Thesaurus.com

noun
a person who founds or establishes something, as a company or institution.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Origin of founder

1
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English found(o)ur, foundere, fundre “original builder of a city, church, castle, or city; founder of a country,” from Anglo-French fundur, from Old French fondeor, from Latin fundātōr-, stem of fundātor; see origin at found1;see also -er1

Other definitions for founder (2 of 3)

founder2
[ foun-der ]
/ ˈfaʊn dər /

verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
to cause to fill with water and sink: Rough seas had foundered the ship in mid-ocean.
Veterinary Pathology. to cause (a horse) to break down, go lame, or suffer from laminitis.
noun
Veterinary Pathology. laminitis.

Origin of founder

2
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English foundren, funder, fonder, from Old French fondrer “to plunge to the bottom, submerge,” from Vulgar Latin fundorāre (unattested), derivative of fundor-, an s-stem noun interpreted as stem of Latin fundus, actually an o-stem noun (stem fund- ) “bottom”

OTHER WORDS FROM founder

un·foun·dered, adjectiveun·foun·der·ing, adjective

Other definitions for founder (3 of 3)

founder3
[ foun-der ]
/ ˈfaʊn dər /

noun
a person who founds or casts metal, glass, etc.

Origin of founder

3
First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English foundour, founder, from Old French fondeur, from fondre “to melt, cast”; see origin at found3, -er1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use founder in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for founder (1 of 3)

founder1
/ (ˈfaʊndə) /

noun
a person who establishes an institution, company, society, etc

Word Origin for founder

C14: see found ²

British Dictionary definitions for founder (2 of 3)

founder2
/ (ˈfaʊndə) /

verb (intr)
noun
vet science another name for laminitis

Word Origin for founder

C13: from Old French fondrer to submerge, from Latin fundus bottom; see found ²

usage for founder

Founder is sometimes wrongly used where flounder is meant: this unexpected turn of events left him floundering (not foundering)

British Dictionary definitions for founder (3 of 3)

founder3
/ (ˈfaʊndə) /

noun
  1. a person who makes metal castings
  2. (in combination)an iron founder

Word Origin for founder

C15: see found ³
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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